


bad lighting and a gritty camera

by rocketsfindplanets



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Edmonton Oilers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-18 07:28:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13095315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rocketsfindplanets/pseuds/rocketsfindplanets
Summary: He felt drunk on a feeling he didn’t quite know how to place; how was he supposed to feel about hockey’s next biggest thing?Ryan never brought it up, and Connor never did either, and that was that.





	bad lighting and a gritty camera

**Author's Note:**

> if you ever wanted to know how long it takes me to write, i started this the day ryans trade to edmonton was announced... yeah
> 
> some like super lowkey john tavares if you arent into that btw :’)

They were not a _thing_.

In any way, shape, or form. _They_ were a one night stand and a mistake, one that he had been more than happy to forget about and move on from. Neither of them had talked about it again, and it had been over a year ago. It wasn’t like they saw each other often, either, only whenever they played each other. And it wasn’t like they talked, then.

After all, even with three and a half years on him, Ryan Strome wasn’t exactly on Connor McDavid’s level.

He watched Connor’s interviews, sometimes. He’d seen his face a million times, considering that he was the next “Next One” and all. And, well, the fact that while Connor had been at Erie, he and Dylan had been practically attached at the hip. There had never been any chance of escaping that.

He tried to tell himself that it had been inevitable. Their paths crossed way too often, they were way too comfortable for two people who despite everything, didn’t know each other all that well. Besides, it hadn’t meant _anything_.

So yeah, he watched his interviews sometimes. He watched his lips as he talked, thought about threading his hands through his hair and pulling, just like _that_. Just how he’d learned that Connor liked it, even in the short time they had spent together. He felt drunk on a feeling he didn’t quite know how to place; how was he supposed to feel about hockey’s next biggest thing?

(And if he found his hand in his pants by the end of the interview, well, he made sure that John wasn’t ever around to know. He and John weren’t a _thing_ either but the looks and even words they shared made him wonder, sometimes.)

Ryan never brought it up, and Connor never did either, and that was that.

 

 

 

 

Jordan Eberle.

The Islanders had traded him for Jordan Eberle.

Traded him to the Edmonton Oilers.

He tweeted about it soon, his heart hurting, head spinning as he tried to process it. He knew what people were saying. Oilers fans were in hysterics, demanding to know how they had traded Eberle for _a player like him_.

Dylan tried to talk to him, after he announced the news.

“Ry?”

For a long moment he was quiet, uncomfortably quiet. He wasn’t going to cry, he had told himself that a million times. He ignored the fact that he was almost blinking away tears.

“Ryan?”

“Sorry,” he sighed, not knowing what to say. “It’s just a bit crazy.”

“Yeah.” It was Dyls’s turn to be quiet for a bit. “Are you okay?”

“Of course,” he gritted out, “I’m about to go and play with the best up-and-coming player in the NHL, it’s such a great opportunity for me.”

“You read way too much about yourself, huh? Besides, best up-and-coming player? Last time I checked, you were gonna be playing with Davo, not me.”

Davo.

Ryan rolled his eyes, unable to help the slight smile that tugged at the corners of his lips. “Right, right, sorry. Must’ve forgotten.”

“Mhm. You just wish. I’d want the chance to play with me, too.”

He just chuckled.

“Text John yet? You gonna call?”

Ah. There it was. “Not yet. I figure I will eventually.”

Ryan did talk to John, later, though the conversation didn’t involve much talking. He Skyped him, that night. Ryan cried and tried to pretend that it wasn’t anything.

 

 

 

 

The next day, he got a text from Connor.

It made sense that they had each other’s numbers. Because of Dylan, again, he thought. They did text each other on occasion, actually, just not about _that_. Stupid hockey stuff. Sharing embarrassing stories about Dylan. Those sorts of things.

There was one picture though, that Connor had sent, the day after their thing had happened. Ryan had told Connor a while ago that he had deleted it; he hadn’t. He found himself scrolling back up to it, then. A simple picture taken with bad lighting and a gritty camera, Connor lying in bed with his hair messed up and out of place, so candid that it brought a smile to Ryan’s face just looking at it.

 _Missing you_ , the picture said. And then Ryan and Connor had both dropped it without another word. Sometimes, he wondered what had gone wrong there. It was probably for the best.

Ryan scrolled back down to the more recent messages, ones that weren’t from over a year ago. _Congrats_ , the newest message read, _looking forward to playing with you._

He read it a few more times, wondering if that was all that he was going to get. People were upset about Eberle. He got that, he really did! But Ryan had at least thought that Connor might be happy to see him in Edmonton.

 _Really?_ Ryan sent back.

_Really._

He smiled at how quickly he got a response. _You might be the only one._

 _They’re gonna love you._ Then another message, after a second, _What are you doing? You should come to Edmonton. Meet the guys before you have to do all of the publicity stuff._

Ah. Ryan let his fingers linger over the keyboard, thinking. About Connor. About John. _I will. Soon._ He was busy. That didn’t stop him from boarding a plane to Edmonton as soon as he got the chance. He didn’t take much with him, wanting to make sure that he came back to give everybody a real goodbye.

(Maybe they weren’t a thing, but John at least deserved that.)

 

 

 

 

Edmonton was beautiful. Ryan had always loved the city, but then again, he felt that way about most places with an NHL team.

Connor’s roommate (and his new teammate, he reminded himself) was out of town for something; Ryan had to admit that he hadn’t been paying much attention to Connor when they had called to plan this all out. It was hard to think about anything but Connor. He should have been over it, but he wasn’t.

He wasn’t ever, really.

Ryan got out of his Uber (if it got him from point A to point B, it worked) and walked the rest of the distance to Connor’s place. He got to the door, and almost as soon as he was knocking on it, it was open. He didn’t know what to think about it, the idea that Connor had just been standing there, waiting for him.

He wondered if when Connor looked at him, he was thinking the same sorts of things that Ryan was thinking when he looked at Connor.

“Ryan.” Connor smiled, stepped out of the way to let Ryan in. Ryan did so, setting his small bag down next to the door and taking his shoes off.

“Hey, Connor.” Ryan smiled, too. “Thanks for inviting me, again.”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s good to see you again.”

Neither of them knew what to say, and it was obvious. What was McDavid supposed to say to somebody who didn’t really want to be playing with him?

“So your roommate is gone, right?” He knew that he was, he didn’t have to ask.

“Oh, Darnell, yeah.”

Nurse. Right. Ryan still didn’t care.

He nodded though, acting interested, following Connor to wherever the hell he was walking. It ended up being the living room, where it appeared Connor had been sitting before he went to the door, if the blanket was any indication.

“Sorry that I don’t really have anything planned for today? I figured we could just kinda, I don’t know, hang out or whatever.”

Ryan looked up at him, trying to gauge his tone, figure out if Connor meant more by that.

“I missed you,” he blurted, something that quite obviously confused Connor.

“Missed… me?” he echoed, reflecting on the little conversation they had had so far, trying to figure out what had prompted it. Ryan just shook his head, though, sitting down on the couch. Connor followed suit. As always.

He was always so easy, so willing to go with whatever Ryan did. For all of the leadership he had on his team, nothing seemed to have changed; Ryan set a precedent, and Connor followed. If that much wasn’t true, there’s no way Ryan would have reached over, set a gentle hand on Connor’s knee like he did. “Thank you for inviting me,” he said, softly. “If you don’t have anything planned, I could recommend something?”

Connor wasn’t stupid. He nodded.

And that was all Ryan needed.

He scooted closer on the couch, moving his hand onto Connor’s thigh for a second before moving it to cup his cheek. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you, you know.”

“Then why… Why not until now?”

“Bit hard with you in Edmonton,” Ryan replied, shrugging. “Not anymore, though.”

“It… it wouldn’t be right,” Connor tried to protest. Ryan responded by leaning in and pressing their lips together. When Connor didn’t kiss back, he pulled away.

“Connor,” he said softly. “I get it. You’re my captain now, all of that. _I get it._ If you don’t want this, tell me.”

Connor looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn’t. Ryan ran the pad of his thumb over his cheek, looking him in the eyes.

“I don’t want things to be weird between us, when we have to play together,” Connor said stiffly.

Ryan simply laughed. “Aren’t they already weird? It’s not everyday the youngest captain in NHL history fucks his best friend’s brother.”

Connor cringed, but he was smiling, and he seemed more calm. Ryan moved his hand down to the back of his neck, drawing him in, just a bit.

“Is this going to be a regular thing?” Connor asked eventually, breath hot against Ryan’s lips.

“Do you want it to be?”

He hesitated a moment. “Do I have to know now?”

Ryan shook his head. “Right now,” he murmured, leaning in, “I just want to kiss you, and make you feel so good you can’t say anything but my name.”

Connor let out a breathy sigh and nodded.

This time, when Ryan kissed Connor, he kissed back.

Using his other hand, Ryan started to pull Connor into his lap. Luckily, he seemed to understand and humoured Ryan, eventually at the point where he was straddling him.

Connor ended up being the one to pull away, instead focusing on getting his hands up under Ryan’s shirt and trying to slip it off. Ryan grinned and moved to help him. “So eager, now, huh?”

Connor glared, pouting ever-so-slightly, and Ryan thought it was the cutest thing in the world. “If we’re doing this, we’re doing it my way. You are at my house,” he reminded him.

“So you think you’re in charge now?” Ryan teased, knowing well that Connor fucking McDavid wasn’t one to back down from a challenge.

“If you want your dick in me tonight, I am.”

Ryan was a little shocked by how quickly Connor got into it, but he would much rather have that than have Connor pushing him away. He was willing to let the boy have some fun; Ryan knew he would get what he wanted out of it either way. If anything, it could be cute.

Connor took off his own shirt after that, tossing it aside. “Darnell won’t be back for a few days,” he explained, voice low. “You can mark me up as much as you want.”

It was something Ryan had never really gotten to do, but God, had he thought about it. About digging his fingers into Connor’s hips until there were bruises, about making sure everybody knew who Connor belonged to. Except Connor never had belonged to him, and he still didn’t. That didn’t make Ryan want it any less.

“Yeah?” he breathed. “Is that what you want?”

He didn’t wait for a reply. Ryan’s mouth was already on Connor’s neck, down near his collarbone. He played nice at first, more gentle kisses and nips, happy to dust his skin with light pink marks.

“Harder,” Connor insisted.

Ryan just smiled. “Patience,” he practically sang, nipping at Connor’s ear. “I’ll take good care of you, I promise.”

“Fuck you.”

Yeah, Connor was definitely still the teenager he had always known, even if he was older now.

He pulled Connor closer, grinding up against him. Thankfully, Connor seemed to understand and started to do the work instead, moving his hands up to Ryan’s shoulders as he began to grind down against him.

Ryan was already half-hard just from thinking about being with Connor again, and he could tell from the hard outline of Connor’s cock through his pants that he was into it, too.

“Come on, you’re in charge, right? Or did you plan on just grinding on me all night?” Ryan asked, dropping a hand down onto his ass to squeeze it.

Connor let out a little gasp at the sudden touch. “Patience,” he quipped with a mocking smile, and Ryan couldn’t help but to smile back.

When he got off of Ryan’s lap to shove his pants off, Ryan was happy to do the same to his own. He got his boxers off quick too, happy to be free of the pressure as he took his cock into his hand. He stroked himself casually and spread his legs a little, looking up at Connor.

“Come on,” he murmured. “Can’t stop thinking about your lips around my dick, that’s where you belong…”

Connor sank down to his knees between Ryan’s legs, too easy. Ryan let his fingers tangle into his hair, just holding on for then.

He let out a moan when Connor got his mouth on him, not hesitating to swallow down as much as he could. Ryan stopped himself from bucking up into his mouth, using Connor’s hair to keep himself grounded.

“You’re so easy,” he growled. “Such a slut. I bet you’d go down for any guy who asked, huh?”

Connor moaned, pulling back to lap at Ryan’s head. “Just for you,” he mumbled, getting a hand on what he couldn’t get into his mouth.

“Mm, I doubt it. You were made to have a dick in your mouth.”

Connor moaned again, but didn’t deny it, this time, instead focusing on pleasuring Ryan, something the older man was more than okay with.

He was _good_ , good enough that he had to have done it before. Ryan let himself imagine it, Connor on his knees for one of his teammates. Draisaitl, maybe, or his roommate. Or maybe somebody back in Erie… He cleared his mind of that train of thought before it went too far.

(He would have bet on it, though. Connor fit too well with Dylan for it to have been anybody else.)

“Come on, you can take more, can’t you?” Connor looked up, and Ryan couldn’t help but to marvel at how pretty he was. “You gonna let me take over now, baby?”

Connor pulled back to nod, eager.

Ryan was rough, using his grip on Connor’s hair to guide him back onto his cock. He made him take it further than he had been on his own. Connor choked a bit, eyes fluttering shut. He should have asked, but he didn’t. He knew Connor liked it rough, and he was very willing to give that to him.

When he let Connor pull back again, he was gasping for air, looking up with wide eyes. Ryan loved that look in his eyes, so trusting, like Ryan was his whole world.

“Do you have lube? Condoms?”

Connor took a long moment to compose himself enough to answer. “In my bedroom…”

Ryan nodded and stood, hard cock bobbing. “Get up,” he said, reaching out immediately to help him to his feet. Connor seemed happy to lean against him slightly for a second, gathering himself.

Eventually Connor led him to his bedroom. It was relatively plain, but the decor was the last thing on Ryan’s mind. Connor retrieved a bottle of lube and a condom from his nightstand and sat them on the bed. He lied down on his back and just watched Ryan.

“Do you do this often?” Ryan asked. “Here in Edmonton?”

It was a dangerous question for a hockey player to answer, but in all fairness, it was a dangerous question for a hockey player to ask, too.

So Connor didn’t answer. His face went red, though, and that was enough of an answer.

“Good. I just don’t want to hurt you by going too fast,” he assured him, crawling onto the bed. Even if that was how Connor liked it. (Ryan, too.) His brother would kill him if he ever really hurt Connor, though, so he had to watch it.

Ryan pushed two fingers gently against Connor’s lips and he took the cue, taking them into his mouth with ease, sucking on them like his life depended on it. He really did belong with something in his mouth, Ryan mused.

He drew them back eventually and opened the lube.

“You gonna be a good boy and open up for me?” he asked, pouring some out onto his hand before spreading Connor’s legs open with the other.

Connor didn’t answer, so he slapped him on the thigh, too hard to just be a quick, playful swat. “Answer me. Can you be good for me, Connor?”

He nodded, too eager. Ryan smiled. “Yes, yes, I promise…” He shivered as Ryan rubbed a finger over his hole, legs closing a bit out of instinct until Ryan pushed them open again. “I’ll be good for you, Ryan…”

“That’s what I like to hear.” Ryan leaned in to press a chaste kiss to Connor’s lips before pushing in his first finger.

Preparation went pretty quickly. Ryan was too eager to get inside of him to waste a lot of time, and he knew Connor could take it.

He brushed against Connor’s prostate, once, when he had three fingers in, but Ryan purposely didn’t push any harder. He focused on just opening him up instead, despite Connor’s squirming to try to get them in further.

Whenever he pulled his fingers out, Connor shuddered and let out a shaky breath. “Ryan…”

“Give me a second,” Ryan mumbled, reaching for the condom. He opened it as quickly as possible and rolled it on, opening the lube again. “Gonna fuck you so hard…”

Another time, he’d like to tease Connor, to drag everything out over hours until he was whimpering, crying. He looked at him, thoughtful. Yeah, he decided. Another time.

Ryan used his free hand to spread Connor apart so that he could start to slowly push into him. Connor made a soft noise but was rather docile aside from that.

“That good?” Ryan asked whenever he stopped, rubbing at Connor’s thighs.

Connor nodded slowly, biting his lip. “Come on,” he insisted, “I can take it.”

Ryan kissed down his chest before pulling out, almost to the tip. He thrust in again hard, and he let that set the pace, not slowing down from there. If Connor’s leaking cock was anything to judge by, he was okay with it.

Eventually Ryan hit Connor’s prostate and he moaned, loud, bucking up into Ryan’s thrusts. “Fuck, Ryan… Right there, fuck, please…”

And then a phone rang. Connor froze immediately, frowning a little bit. Ryan didn’t stop, though he definitely noticed how tense Connor got.

“I… Fuck, Ry, I should get that, if it’s one of the guys…”

Ryan didn’t care. He put a hand over Connor’s mouth and continued, letting out soft moans himself as he got closer. “Then you can call them back later. Unless you want to answer like this?”

He shook his head desperately. “That’s what I thought,” Ryan groaned. “You’d probably like that though, huh baby? Letting your teammates know just how slutty their captain is, and for the new guy, at that?”

Connor’s only answer was to moan.

“Don’t come until I do,” Ryan said, moving his hand back down to spread Connor’s legs wider.

“I won’t,” he swore, and that was good enough for Ryan. Connor liked to mess around, but he was good. Ryan could trust him to be good.

It didn’t take but a few more thrusts and Ryan was coming, continuing to pound his hips against Connor until he was done. He stayed there for a long moment, holding onto Connor tight. He pulled out pretty quickly, though, leaving Connor to whine and buck up into nothing.

“Bet you could come on just my dick, if I let you, huh?” he mumbled, wrapping a hand around Connor. He had gone untouched practically the whole time, and all it took was a few rough strokes for him to be coming, too, Ryan’s name on his lips.

They just stayed like that, afterward, for a moment, Connor trying to recover. Ryan got up before too long, taking off the condom and tying it off. “Connor, baby?” he asked softly. “Where’s the bathroom?”

Connor mumbled out some directions eventually, and Ryan went to go get a wet washcloth. When he came back he carefully wiped Connor’s come off of him, running his free hand through his hair. He stopped when Connor let out a gentle laugh.

“What?” Ryan asked defensively, squinting at him.

“I just think it’s funny how you can be so rough and so caring at the same time,” he said, still sounding out of breath.

That got Ryan to smile. “Gotta keep my captain satisfied somehow.” He sat the washcloth aside on the nightstand, figuring they could clean up later, and got back onto the bed. “Come here…”

He lied down with Connor in his arms, back press flush against Ryan’s chest. “You said you didn’t have any plans, right?”

“Not really…”

“I think a nap’s a wonderful idea, then,” he said, pretty sure Connor was already halfway there.

Surely enough, he yawned, nodding his head lethargically. “Who called me?” he mumbled.

Ryan rolled his eyes, stretching a bit to grab Connor’s phone from the nightstand. “Just Dylan.”

Connor seemed up to perk up a bit. “Oh, let me—”

“McDavid, I swear to God, if you want to talk to my brother right after I finished fucking you…”

He didn’t have to be able to see Connor’s face to know he was blushing.

“Okay, fine. Nap now, Dylan later.”

“Sounds perfect.” Ryan kissed the top of his head, hugging him tighter.

Connor fell silent for a minute, and Ryan was wondering if he had fallen asleep that fast when he murmured, “Thanks for coming, Ryan.”

“Anytime,” he promised. “Now get some sleep.”

 

 

 

 

“I’m coming to visit as soon as I get a chance!”

“You know I’m coming home again, right?”

“Yeah, but Davo isn’t!”

Connor laughed, sitting up a little bit more. “I never said that.”

“You would? Really?”

Ryan had to smile at the excitement in Dylan’s voice. Connor shot him a coy look, almost as if asking if it would be okay. He nodded without any hesitation.

“Of course. Ryan came to visit me in Edmonton, only fair that I return the favor.”

“Connor McDavid, I think I might love you,” Dylan declared, and Ryan grinned.

“Hey Dylan, we gotta go in a minute, we’re going out to lunch with some of the guys,” Ryan explained, glancing over at Connor. “We can talk again later, okay?”

His brother let out a dramatic sigh. “Fine. Bye, Davo. See you soon?”

Ryan smirked and pressed a kiss to Connor’s jaw as he answered. “See you soon.” Ryan took the chance to hang up the call, then.

“Coming home with me to meet the family already?” Ryan teased.

Connor rolled his eyes and playfully shoved Ryan away. “I hate you,” he declared.

“Bet you do.”

Connor stuck out his tongue, and Ryan returned the favour. “Come on, like you said, we gotta go in a minute.”

“I know, I know.” Ryan stood up and grabbed his phone to go find his shoes and slip them on, watching Connor tug a hoodie on over his shirt. “Lead the way.”

Connor smiled, and pressed a quick, teasing peck to Ryan’s lips before opening the door and stepping out. A promise of more, later, nothing else.

Ryan smiled and followed.

If anybody were to ask, they were definitely not a _thing_. When Ryan fell asleep that night, again, tangled up in Connor’s sheets, he couldn’t really bring himself to care.

**Author's Note:**

> (Ryan pulled back and looked up at Connor through his eyelashes, come streaking his cheeks. “Better than Eberle?” he asked, putting on his best innocent guise.
> 
> Connor choked and threw a pillow at him.)
> 
> as always, find me on tumblr @ jacklisowski or drop a comment here!! hope y’all enjoyed lmaooo


End file.
